Barneyisfat

Pete asked me if I could play the piano for Sunday school. I've been practicing daily, I hope to be able to play the hymns for Sunday school by January.

We sang a hymn of no extraordinary regard. Alma was sick today and Sam led the singing time. Sam is a tall, old man with ears too big for not only his head, but his whole body. His entire being is curved so that from the side he looks like a big S - perfect for any sitting position, but rather peculiar standing behind a ram-rod straight podium.

Monteen Brown requested the next hymn, "Rescue the Perishing." Monteen often requests that everyone call her Aunteen. She remained single all of her life, and it's important for her to feel that she has family. Her father and mother both died of Alzheimer's disease. She cared for both of them through the difficult sickness. Her siblings have all suffered and died from Alzheimer's. She always remembers even me, a college kid she sees once a week. It is a statistical oddity that she doesn't have Alzheimer's yet. She is proud of her years of service at "Belk's" department store. She feels that caring for her parents and watching out for her nieces and nephews is God's ministry in her life. She sits with the college kids who sit by themselves.

Aunteen never married, never moved away from home, never made any serious money, and never raised any children of her own. By so many standards of this world she failed. By God's standards she has been an amazing success.

Rescue the perishing, care for the dying, snatch them in pity from sin and the grave; weep o'er the erring one, lift up the fallen, tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save.

Rescue the perishing, care for the dying;Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save.

Though they are slighting him, still he is waiting, waiting the penitent child to receive; plead with them earnestly, plead with them gently; he will forgive if they only believe.

Rescue the perishing, duty demands it; strength for thy labor the Lord will provide; back to the narrow way patiently win them; tell the poor wanderer a Savior has died.